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The Big Picture
You may have heard the word "sustainability" being tossed around. Or maybe a reference to the "post-petroleum era." And of course, you've heard about global warming. It is important to look at the BIG picture in order to help us plan more accurately for our future. If you know that a storm is coming, you take adequate, precautionary steps to prepare and protect yourself. Why not do the same for a future that will surely be very different from the past? This section will connect you with the best resources we know of to explain our predicament. We have divided it into understanding peak oil and global responses Peak oil and its impact on the environment, the economy, society and you 1. Start with one of these films. An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. Available as a film and a book: http://www.climatecrisis.net/ We agree with this review by Jeffrey M. Anderson http://www.moviesunlimited.com/musite/product.asp?sku=D91903 Buy An Inconvenient Truth on DVD If you see only one movie this year, make it An Inconvenient Truth. It may not be the year's best movie, or it’s most entertaining, but it's certainly the most terrifyingly crucial. Director Davis Guggenheim does a remarkable job of filming Al Gore's "climate crisis" slide show, somehow making it visually dramatic and compulsively gripping. Gore has moved way beyond the "wooden" presidential candidate who nearly won the 2000 election, and now appears as dynamic, commanding, intelligent and even funny. The film clearly and effectively explains the cause and horrifying effects of global warming, and even takes time out to refute the right wing naysayers, challenging and debunking their best "arguments" against global warming. If the movie has a flaw, it's the gloomy interludes in which Gore talks about his personal road toward this fight. But several humorous bits, such as an animated segment by Matt Groening and his "Simpsons" crew, counterbalance these moments. Melissa Etheridge contributes a song to the closing credits. According to this film, we have ten years in which to turn around the inevitable, and viewers moved to action can start by logging onto http://www.climatecrisis.net. Too Hot Not To Handle Heat waves. Melting glaciers. Rising sea levels. Catastrophic storms. Migrating viruses. Population displacement. Over the past 100 years, the mass consumption of fossil fuels, especially in America, has contributed to a dangerous warming of the earth that has adversely impacted the way we live. The cautionary documentary TOO HOT NOT TO HANDLE offers a guide to the effects of global warming in the United States. Go to: http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/toohot/index.html See especially their resource section: http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/toohot/resources.html 2. Web resources The Coming Global Oil Crisis. On their site you will find a clear and easy to understand explanation of the crisis. Read their summary and overview at http://www.oilcrisis.com/ Dry Dipstick: A Peak Oil Meta directory has information and resources on how to respond to peak oil. See http://www.drydipstick.com/peakoil-prepare.html The Heat is Online This site offers articles, background and current news of climate change. http://www.heatisonline.org Environmental Issues and the Global Response Several international efforts are underway to address the crises we face. Here are the most prominent. Worldwatch Institute One of the best places to get information on the current status of the environment is Worldwatch Institute. They produce two guides each year: State of the World and Vital Signs which give up-to-date information on a wide range of issues. Their World Watch Magazine is helpful too. Find them at: http://www.worldwatch.org/ The Earth Charter Another excellent source of information about the state of the world and global initiatives. The Earth Charter ... is a declaration of fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society for the 21st century. Created by the largest global consultation process ever associated with an international declaration, endorsed by thousands of organizations representing millions of individuals, the Earth Charter seeks to inspire in all peoples a sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the human family and the larger living world. The Earth Charter is an expression of hope and a call to help create a global partnership at a critical juncture in history. For more information and to endorse the charter yourself see: http://www.earthcharter.org/ For more resources go to Inspiration Home Home Page